Dundrum Castle

One of the finest Norman castles in Northern Ireland, with views to sea and Mourne Mountains. Built by John de Courcy in about 1177, and later occupied by the Magennises.

This medieval coastal castle with circular keep and massive walls is set high on a hill overlooking the sea at Dundrum, County Down. It was built shortly before 1210, on an earlier fortified earthwork, from which the place-name element 'dun' derives. It was begun by John de Courcy, who led the 1177 Anglo-Norman invasion of East Ulster. Its purpose was to guard the land routes from Drogheda via Greencastle to Downpatrick. It was visited by King John in 1210, who spent money for minor works to the castle and paid for a garrison there. Subsequently the castle was held by the Earls of Ulster and, from the middle of the 14th century, by the Magennises of Mourne.

A trip to Dundrum Castle is perfect for any school studying Norman Castles.